Thailand Approves Medical Cannabis

Thailand’s parliament has voted to approve cannabis for medical use, with a key lawmaker calling it a”New Year’s present” to the Thai people.

Recreational use will stay illegal. Cannabis was used in Thailand as a conventional medicine, until it had been banned in the 1930s.

South East Asia has a number of the world’s toughest penalties for medication usage or possession, and Thailand is the first in the region to allow medicinal marijuana. Thailand’s junta-appointed parliament voted to overthrow the Narcotic Act of 1979 on Tuesday.

It occurred after an extra parliamentary session was organized to push bills through before the New Year’s holidays, according to Reuters news agency. The amendment will become law when it’s published in the government gazette, The Bangkok Post reported.

“That is a Brand New Year’s gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people,” said Somchai Sawangkarn, chairman of the Sciences, during the televised session.Consumers will be able to carry specified quantities required for medicinal purposes, if they have a prescription or recognized certificate, the Bangkok Post said.

Licences for sale and production of the item will be strictly controlled.

The newspaper said the law also applies to kratom, a South East Asian plant that functions as a stimulant.

Canada and Uruguay are among those to have legalised it, such as for recreational usage. Nevertheless South East Asia is famous for having very harsh punishments for drugs-related charges.